Box motion



Oct. 1, 1968 R. s. scHEDlN 3,403,707

BOX MOTION l 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25. 1966 FIG.

mvENToR 22 ROBERT s. scHEom ATTORNEY Oct. 1, 1968 R. s. scHEDIN 3,403,707

BOX MOTION Filed July 25, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. I2

l a ll/ INVENTORl ROBERT S. SCHE DIN awww/- ATTORNEY Oct. l, 1968 R. s. SCHEDIN 3,403,707

Box-'MOTION Filed July 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENToR T ROBERT s. scm-:Dm

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ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,403,707 BOX MOTION Robert S. Schedin, East Brookfield, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 25, 1966, Ser. No. 567,708 9 Claims. (Cl. 139-171) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cam driven box-motion for a loom in which constantly rotating cams are selectively engaged by followers operated from a pattern mechanism. The followers are operatively attached to the shuttle 'boxes and act to position same when moved by the cams.

The present invention relates to mechanism for lifting and lowering the shuttle boxes in a loom operating with a plurality of shuttles and `a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes.

In conventional .box looms, such as that shown in Gordon Patent No. 1,663,939, much difliculty has been encountered with the gear and crank box motions when higher speeds have been approached. Because of the type of motion produced by the crank, inertial forces become an increasingly bothersome factor which causes the boxes to vibrate excessively at the end of their motion. This vibration causes excessive wear on the various parts involved and often interferes with the proper boxing of the incoming shuttle.

My solution to this problem lies in the use of cams to raise and lower the boxes as they can 'be designed to give a motion which fits idealy the force requirements for raising and lowering shuttle boxes. In the past, cam driven box motions -have been limited in the number of positions to which they could selectively move a gang of shuttle boxes or they have not been positively controlled as would be necessary for higher speeds. Typical examples of such mechanisms are shown in U.S. Patent No. 11,833 and 3,148,709.

An important object of the invention is to provide a cam driven box motion which can selectively move a gang of shuttle :boxes to any of several different positions in any desired order.

A second object of the invention is to provide a cam driven box motion which utilizes transmitter units operatively connected to a box lever means and a pattern mechanism to selectively move a gang of shuttle -boxes to several different positions in any desired order.

Another object of the invention is to -provide a cam driven box motion which utilizes two pairs of positioner cams for selectively moving a gang of shuttle boxes to any one of four different positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a transmitter unit for each pair of cams, each of which utilize a pattern controlled slide unit slidable within the transmitter unit and which operates to selectively engage one or the other of said cams.

A still further object of the invention is to provide each transmitter unit with cam followers normally in non-engaging position with their respective arms and capable of being moved into engagement with said cams for transmitting a motion from the cams to the gang of shuttle boxes.

Sstill another object of the invention is to provide yieldable holding means for each cam follower to hold it in cam engaging -position or non-engaging position.

Other objects and the details of that which is believed to be novel will be clear from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawings in 3,403,707 Patented Oct. l, 1968 ICC which is illustrated examples of a device embodying the present invention.

In the drawings wherein:-

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a loom embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure l;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3, Figure 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 2 and showing one of the transmitter units with its cam followers in raised position disengaged from its positioner cams;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the transmitter unit in engagement with one of its positioner cams;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the transmitter unit in lowered position out of engagement with its positioner cams;

FIGURE 7 is a view 'similar to FIGURE 5, showing the transmitter unit in lowered position and engaged with the other of its pair of positioner cams;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged section taken on line 8 8, FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 9 is .a diagram of one of a pair of positioner cams for raising a transmitter unit;

FIGURE l0 is a view similar to view 9 of the other of a pair of positioner cams;

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of the invention; and

FIGURE 12 is a dgrammatic view of the various box po'sitions obtainable from the modification shown in FIG- URE 11.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a loom having right and left sides Iand 12 respectively and a reciprocating lay L. At the left hand end of the loom are located a gang of 'shuttle boxes 14-17 each containing a shuttle. The gang of shuttle boxes are movable .as a unit to four different -positions so that the shuttle of any box can be put into action when required by t-he particular weaving pattern employed. The mechanism for lifting and lowering the gang of shuttle boxes includes the usual 'box lifter rod 18 conneeted to the lower end of the 'shuttle boxes as at 20. Rod 18 is operatively connected to a primary box lever 22 through the usual giveaway connecting means generally indicated at 24. Lever 22 is pivotally connected to an intermediate box lever 26 at a point 28, lever 26 being in turn pivoted to frame member 12 at 27. The lever arrangement just described is of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,128,796.

In the present invention ends 30 and 32 of bo-x levers 22 and 26 are moved by the new cam box motion. This new box motion comprises a pair of cams and a transmitter unit for lifting and lowering each end 30 and 32. There is a lifting cam 36 and a lowering cam 38 which operate through a transmitter unit 40 for lifting and lowering the end 30 of lever 22. End 32 of lever 26 is lifted and lowered through a transmitter unit 42 operating with a lowering cam 44 and a lifting cam 46. Drive for the cams comes from the usual crankshaft 48 which through crank mechanism 45 reciprocates the lay L once -for each revolution. Crank shaft 48 also drives a bottom shaft 50 through a 2 to 1 gearing so that shaft 50 makes two revolutions for each revolution of crank shaft 48. Mounted on a portion of shaft 50 are a pair of spaced bevel gears 54 and I56 which drives cams 38 and 46 respectively through bevel gears 57 and 58 mounted on stub shafts 59 and 60y respectively. Stub shafts 59 and 60 are rotatably mounted in upper and lower bearings -62 and 64 which are in turn mounted on loomside 12. Cam 44 is mounted on a stub shaft 66 which is journaled in upper and lower bearings 67 and 68 respectively which are also mounted on loom side 12. Upper and lower bear- 3 ings 69 and 70 respectively, rotatably support a stub shaft 72 on which is mounted cam 36. Cams 36 and 44 are driven at the same speed as are cams 38 and 46 through chains 73, 74 and sprockets 73 and 74.

Since the cam and transmitter unit arrangements for operating levers 22 and 26 are exactly the same, only one will be described in detail, namely cams 36, 38 and unit 40. Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 4 8, control unit includes a sleeve 78 slidable on a cylindrical member 76, a at slide member 77 slidable within a slot 75 in cylindrical member 76 secured to left loom side 12. A pair of cam followers 80 and 82 are slidable within recesses in cylindrical member 76 and sleeve 78 in a direction which is at right angles to the sliding motion of sleeve 78 on cylindrical member 76. Cylindrical member 76 also has a lpair of connecting portions 79 and 79 which project across slot and through a pair of slots 81 and 81 respectively for guiding slide member 77 in its up and down movements and also act as stops for the Slide mem-ber. Followers and 82 are aligned with, and normally out of engagement with cams 36 and 38 respectively. Slide member 77 is attached to one of a pair of box control rods 84 see FIGURE l, which are under control of a suitable -pattern mechanism D, such as a box chain or a dobby head, not shown, to be selectively moved to an up position according to the demands of the particular weaving pattern. In FIGURE 4, slide 77 is in its up position, as is sleeve 78. Sleeve 78 is held in its upper position by a yieldable locking plate 85 which is held in a slot 86 in cylindrical member 76 by a spring 88, see FIGURE 7. A locking plate 90 which ts into a slot 92 under pressure of a spring 89 is effective to hold sleeve 7'8 in its down position as viewed in FIGURE 6.

When the weave pattern calls for sleeve '78 to be in the down position, slide 77 is lowered, by pattern means D relative to member 76. This motion enables a cam surface 94 on slide 77 to depress locking plate 85 against spring 88 thereby releasing sleeve 78 from engagement with member 76. A second cam surface 91 on member 77 acts at the same time to push cam follower 82 to the right in FIGURE 4 into partial engagement with a groove 96 in cam 38. As slide 77 completes its downward motion, cam surface 94 also pushes follower 82 to the right into full engagement with groove 96. Cam 38, which is constantly rotating, then proceeds to bring sleeve 78 to its down position, as shown in FIGURE 6. After sleeve 78 completes its downward motion, follower 82 is disengaged from groove 96 by a projection 98 on cam 38 which enables the follower to be completely clear of the cam.

Upon reaching the down position as shown in FIGURE 6,

sleeve 78 is locked into place as locking plate 90 becomes aligned with slot 92. When the weave pattern calls for sleeve 78 to again be in the up position, slide 77 is raised so that locking plate 90 is pushed out of engagement with slot 92 by a cam surface 100 while at the same time a second cam surface 101 serves to push follower 80 into partial engagement with groove 102 in cam 36. As slide 77 completes its upward motion cam surface pushes follower -80 into full engagement with groove 102. Cam 36 then proceeds to lift sleeve 78 to the up position shown in FIGURE 4. At the end of its up motion, follower 80 is disengaged from cam 36 by a projection 104 on the end of the lifting portion of groove 102. Followers 80 and 82 are held in engaging or non-engaging positions by spring loaded detent means 106 and 108 respectively. Referring to FIGURES 4-7, each of these detent means comprise of a ball 87 which is urged against its respective cam follower by a spring 93 which is housed in a cavity 95 in sleeve 78. The spring 93 is maintained under tension in cavity 95 by a plug or screw 97. Followers `80 and 82 each have a pair of notches 99 which are spaced so that the ball 87 will register with one of them when the lfollower is in the outer and inner positions. The detent means 106 and 108 therefore yieldingly maintain their respective followers 80 and 82 in their inner and outer positions.

Referring to FIGURES 9 and lt) there are shown diagrams of cams 36 and 38 respectively. The degrees in the ldiagrams are in terms of crankshaft time so therefore represent two rotations of the crankshaft to one rotation of cams 36 and 38. Groove 102 of lifting cam 36 has a dwell portion 103 followed by a lifting portion 105 and another dwell portion 107 which ends at projection 104. Groove 96 of lowering cam 38 has a dwell portion 109 followed by a lowering portion 111 and another dwell portion 113 which ends at projection 98.

Referring to FIGURES l and 2 sleeve 78 of units 40 and 42 which are given motion by the lifting and lowering cams are connected to the ends 30 and 32 of levers 22 and 26 by connecting means 110 and 112, respectively. In this way, when the sleeve 78 of transmitter unit 40 is in the up position and the sleeve 78 of transmitter unit 42 is in the down position, the shuttle boxes are in the lowest or first position. When both sleeve are in the down position the boxes are in the second position. When both sleeves are in the up position, the boxes are in the third position. When the sleeve of transmitter unit -42 is up and the sleeve of transmitter 40 is down the shuttle boxes are in the forth or uppermost position.

The present invention can be easily adapted to a loom operating with shifting shuttle boxes by utilizing the usual levers 22 and 26 and connecting means 24. Box control rods 84 from the pattern mechanism give an indication to the present box motion for a box lifting sequence in a manner similar to that of the rods in the box motion shown in previously mentioned Patent No. 3128,- 796. When either of rods 84 are raised or lowered by the pattern mechanism they are effective to cause their respective lifter units to move up and down. In this way, for the gang of shuttle boxes to achieve the lowest position, as shown in FIGURE 1, transmitter unit 40 will be in the up position and transmitter unit 42 will be in the down position. This will bring the shuttle in shuttle box 14 into the active position.

The second position of the shuttle boxes, bringing shuttle box 15 into the `active position, is achieved by leaving transmitter unit 40 in the up position and bringing transmitter unit 42 to the up position. The third position of the shuttle boxes, bringing shuttle box 16 to the active position, is obtained by bringing both transmitter units 40 and 42, to the downposition. The fourth and last position of the shuttle boxes, bringing shuttle box 17 into the active position, is obtained when transmitter unit 40 is in the down position and transmitter unit 42 is in the up position.

A skip box movement can be obtained e.g. in going from the last described fourth position to the first position, transmitter unit 40 will be caused to move down and transmitter unit 42 will be caused to move up, taking shuttle box 17 out of active position and bring shuttle box 14 into active position.

This invention need not be limited to a four box gang, but may be applied to a greater or lesser number by varying the number of transmitter units and their respective pairs of cams. As an example of one possible modification, FIGURE l1 shows and arrangement for eight shuttle boxes by adding a third transmitter unit and a pair of positioner cams. The gang of eight shuttle boxes designated by the reference character 122 is connected to the primary box lever 22 at 114. Primary box lever 22 can be moved to four different positions by transmitter unit and cam assemblies 116 and 117, shown diagrammatically but which are identical to units 40 and 42 and their respective cams. Assemblies 116 and 117 have the effect of moving pivot 28 to any of four different positions. By applying a third transmitter unit and cam assembly 120 to lever 22 at point 18, lever 22 can be moved to two different positions around each of the pivot positions occupied by pivot 28 resulting in a total of eight different positions for the lever 22 and shuttle boxes 122. Assembly 120 75 is also shown diagrammatically but is identical to units 40 and 42 and their respective cams. The eight positions of lever 22 -are shown in FIGURE 12. It is evident that other lever arrangements can be worked out by those skilled in the art to arrive at an arrangement for moving a gang of shuttle boxes to any desired number of positions.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated and it is contemplated that various modifications and applications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications las do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is calimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In looms having a plurality of moveable boxes and box lever means for positively moving said boxes to any one of a plurality of positions in any desired order, a shuttle box controlling mechanism comprising:

(a) motion transmitter means operatively associated with said box lever means;

(b) cam means associated with said transmitter means and normally out of contact therewith; and

(c) pattern means for selectively bringing said trans- -mitter means into contact with said cam means whereby said boxes are moved to any of a plurality of positions in any desired order.

2. The shuttle box controlling mechanism as described in claim 1 wherein said cam means are pairs of constantly rotating cams and said transmitter means are transmitter units diposed between each -pair of cams normally out of engagement therewith :and operatively connected to said lever means, and wherein said pattern mechanism selectively engages each of said units with one of an adjacent pair of said constantly rotating cams.

3. The shuttle box controlling mechanism as described in claim 2 wherein each of said transmitter units comprise:

(a) a cylindrical member;

(b) a sleeve slidable on said cylindrical member and attached to one of said lifter rods;

(c) a slide member slidable within said cylindrical member and attached to said pattern -mechanismv for selective motion thereby to one of two positions within said cylindrical member; and

(d) a pair of spaced cam follower members slidable within said cylindrical member and said sleeve in communication with said slide member, each of said follower members being aligned with and normally out of operating engagement with a respective one of said positioner cams, whereby one of said follower members is moved into engagement with the cam to which it is aligned when said slide member is moved from one position to the other by said pattern mechanism.

4. In a shuttle box controlling mechanism for looms having a plurality of movable boxes and box lever means moving said shuttle boxes to any one of four different positions in any desired order and comprising:

(a) a first pair of constantly rotating positioner cams;

(b) a second pair of constantly rotating positioner cams;

(c) a first transmitter unit disposed between said iirst pair of positioner ca-ms normally in non-engaging relation therewith;

(d) a second transmitter unit disposed between said second pair of positioner cams normally in a nonengaging relation therewith;

(e) lever connecting means operatively connecting said box lever means to said first and second transmitter units;

(f) pattern means for selectively engaging Said rSt transmitter means in the said rst pair of constantly rotating cams, and said second transmitter unit with said second pair of cams so that said -boxes are moved to any one of said four positions in any desired order.

5. The shuttle box controlling mechanism as described in claim 4 wherein each of said transmitter units cornprise:

(a) a cylindrical member;

(b) a sleeve slidable on said cylindrical member and attached to said lever connecting means;

(c) a slide member slidable within said cylindrical member and attached to said pattern mechanism for selective motion thereby to yone of two positions within said cylindrical member; and

(d) a pair of spaced cam follower members slidable within said sleeve in communication with said slide member, each of said follower members being aligned with and normally out of operating engagement with a respective one of said positioner cams, whereby one of said follower members is moved into engagement with the cam to which it is aligned when said slide member is moved from one position to the other by said pattern mechanism.

6. The shuttle box controlling mechanism as described in claim 5 wherein each pair of positioner cams comprise an up cam and a down cam, and wherein one of a respective pair of spaced cam follower members is aligned with and normally out of engagement with the up cam and the other of said pair of cam follower members is aligned with and normally out of engagement with the down cam of a corresponding pair of positioner cams; whereby the motion of a slide member in said rst and second transmitter units, when moving from one position to the other, will cause one of the cam follower members in its respective unit to engage its respective one of said cams so that the cam follower in alignment with the up cam will be engaged when its respective sleeve is in the down position for upward moti-on of the follower and sleeve, and the cam follower in alignment with the down cam will be engaged when its respective sleeve is in the up position for downward motion of the follower and sleeve.

7. The shuttle box controlling means as described in claim 4 wherein each of the sleeves in said irst and second transmitter units contain spring biased locking means for holding the sleeves in upper and lower positions on their respective cylindrical members, said loc-king means becoming disengaged from holding position when their respective slide members are moved by said pattern mechanism to allow relative motion between the sleeves and their respective cylindrical members.

8. The shuttle box controlling means as described in claim 4 wherein each of the sleeves in said rst and second transmitter units has detent holding means for releasably holding each of its cam follower members in non-engaging position or cam engaging position.

9. The shuttle box controlling means as described in claim 4 wherein each of said constantly rotating cams is a barrel cam having a groove for receiving a corresponding end of a respective one of said cam follower members and said groove terminating into a slight rise on the outer surface thereof for disengaging said cam follower member for the cam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,663,939 3/1928 Gordon 139-179 3,128,796 4/ 1964 Bergstron et al 139-171 3,190,317 6/1965 Picanol 139-179 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,084,837 7/ 1954 France.

977,992 12/1964 Great Britain.

HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner. 

